After a milder than usual December, wintry weather is finally in the forecast, and area highway departments are prepared.

Unseasonably warm weather so far means road crews have ample supplies of salt and sand on hand, according to Town of Southport Highway Superintendent David Bachman.

In fact, Bachman's biggest concern right now is having enough space to store all the materials.

"We are well stocked with salt and deicing sand. All our trucks are prepped and ready. We are ready to deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at us," Bachman said. "My main concern now is we're obligated to buy 70 percent of our annual estimate of tonnage. It's hard to find a place to put all of it. It would have to be tarped outside. Our barn is full. If that's my only concern this winter, I'll be happy."

The National Weather Service predicted a mix of snow and sleet Monday evening, followed by freezing rain and sleet overnight and into Tuesday. That is expected to turn into all rain later Tuesday, and the rest of the week should bring mostly rain with occasional sunshine, the Weather Service said.

Road crews have been preparing for the return of winter, and some are pre-treating roads in advance of the icy mix.

Others are standing by to see what the weather brings.

"We're in good shape. We're just waiting for it," said Town of Erwin Highway Superintendent LaVerne "Dan" Rose. "We were out a couple of times last weekend, putting the pre-treatment down. Knock on wood, we'll see how it goes."

In Northern Tier counties, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation treated area roadways Monday with salt brine, which lowers the freezing point of water and slows or prevents ice from forming a bond with the pavement during the early stages of a storm.

Area police agencies are also paying close attention to the forecast, noting that many motorists are caught off-guard by the first dose of winter weather.

"We're always monitoring the weather because we want to be able to respond accordingly," said Chemung County Undersheriff William Schrom. "A lot of it is common sense. We try to remind people to take your time. Allow more time to get to your destination. Respect road conditions. Make sure cell phones are charged if you get stranded, your gas tank is filled and you tell people where you are going.

"It seems people forget. We will have some (accidents)," Schrom said. "Make sure to allow enough space between vehicles."